Opening Prayer:
Let your goodness shine out like a light in the darkness,
So that through you, the love of our heavenly father will touch
The lives of others.
( Matthew 5:16)
Gospel Reading:
Jesus departed from there and came to his native place, accompanied by his disciples.
When the sabbath came he began to teach in the synagogue,
and many who heard him were astonished.
They said, “Where did this man get all this?
What kind of wisdom has been given him?
What mighty deeds are wrought by his hands!
Is he not the carpenter, the son of Mary,
and the brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon?
And are not his sisters here with us?”
And they took offense at him.
Jesus said to them,
“A prophet is not without honor except in his native place
and among his own kin and in his own house.”
So he was not able to perform any mighty deed there,
apart from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them.
He was amazed at their lack of faith.
Discussion Questions:
- Why were the people amazed by the adult Jesus?
A: many grew up with Jesus, went to school together, and worshipped with him at the synagogue every week. They knew him as an ordinary son of an ordinary couple.
- What did Jesus do when the people were not willing to listen or believe him?
A: He left Nazareth and traveled from place to place, bringing his message to those who were willing to listen and believe that he was indeed the son of God.
- What can we do as Believers of Jesus?
A: We can make Jesus welcome by welcoming his word and all that he teaches us; by welcoming him in the people we meet every day; and by opening our hearts to his love and making him a part of our daily lives.
Closing Prayer:
Lord,
May our belief in you,
Help others to find you for themselves
And believe in you, too.
Amen